IPTV 101: Coming to a conference near you


IPTV 101: Coming to a conference near you
The wonder and vexation of relating news from the IPTV sector is its volatility. Google launched an online video store 18 months ago. It's gone tomorrow. Xbox game consoles are about to double as set-top boxes. Telco IPTV services are rolling out faster than governments can accommodate them, both here and abroad. IP video players are hitting the market quicker than content owners can deal with them. Patent and copyright lawsuits are practically de rigueur.

This is a swiftly moving market that betrays no indication of letting up anytime soon. There is no better--or riskier--time to be hip deep in it, and there is no comparable gathering of such individuals as one coming up in September, at the Internet Telephony conference in Los Angeles. Full disclosure: Yes, this is a shameless self-promotion for IPTV Evolution on Sept. 10, the one-day summit sponsored by FierceMarkets. But I'm also one of those people who could never pitch a product they didn't use. If you ever catch me selling something, that means I find it useful.

IPTV Evolution has shaped up to be a crash course in all things IPTV, one that leaves you with a year's worth of ideas, answers and potential strategies. Experts from all across the IPTV business sector will be there--from managers of various sized telcos deploying hybrid-fiber infrastructures, to regulators, content creators and technology vendors. Executives from MTV, SureWest, A&E Networks, Espial, West Kentucky Rural Telephone, JDSU, TiVo, MobiTV, XillianTV, Technicolor and many other companies are participating. And yes, I will be there, too, technically to officiate, but actually to learn.

This is an unprecedented opportunity to get a handle on an industry that's quickly taking shape and completely altering the business of television. I'm only too happy to get on that curve. I hope you'll consider doing the same. Take a look at the agenda. Let me know what you think. Post your comment below or let me have it and email me at [email protected].